Thanks for the advice. Cool, I have wondered why they bother but I guess it is just advertising Ang I agree with your father. I have seen those ads and you see in small prints that a FICO of over 750 is often needed. One time a credit union worked better, another time it was the dealership. I do think things have changed with financing as I posted above, now they do get a cut so they want you to finance with them but I agree that except in advertised offers, they will try to steer you higher if they can and pocket the difference unless you show them a better offer. However that is on the interest rate, not the price of the car. My needs are very specific such that at any point I can only buy one or two cars that are out there so if there is an incentive great, otherwise the last time my lease was up and I needed that car and nothing else was as good an option. Luann, I totally believe you got a good deal I have never traded in before. On my last car I could not buy 2 year old because the model with 8 seats was not available until 2004 when I bought my car (I have 5 children actually back then it was 3 plus 2 on the way!). The model I am considering also was not available as currently equiped before this year. When I buy a car I go to the various web sites, including any enthusiast web sites such as Sienna Club. Org. They usually have an area where people brag about their best deal and I will usually try to match it. I will pay one visit to a dealership I do not plan to buy at usually the full service high pressure one so I can test drive and see the car and find out which options are definitely available (sometimes they are listed but are not regionally available, avoids the cannot get it nonsense that salesment pull). Then I will go to the various dealer websites within 50 miles. If they give you access to inventory I will check out their inventory. At this point based on the MSRP listed I can tell which cars have the packages I want in their inventory. The reality is if they have 4 blue minivans with leather and only one with cloth you can probably get a better deal percentage wise on the one with leather (assuming you want that). I will then contact whatever dealerships have a decent amount of inventory or are known for discounting. Then I will pay a visit to various dealerships in the area to see what I can get in person from the ones with lots of inventory of the specific car, package and color I want or that I know from experience really will discount. If it all possible I will deal with the guy in the booth rather than the salesperson. I always take the wholesale cost breakdown with me, knowing it is not the true invoice because there is usually a holdback of 2% of the base price Also I have noticed that Edmunds TMV price should be ignored. It is usually higher than what I have paid One thing about the inventory, sometimes things are listed but are not for sale, owners wife is driving it and it will be a demo in a month. So just because the gray is listed, it might not be there when you get there

Crikey? Strewth mate. Haven't you heard the late Crocodile Hunter say it? It's a bit like "golly" and is kind of twee, which is why I like it I guess....I was born in Ontario but have lived in Australia and New Zealand since 1974, moving back to Canada only last year....so I kind of picked up a lot of sayings.... If you want mad and eccentric, you can't go past a kiwi- NZ'er.... Take this for example: http://www.asciimation.co.nz/beer/ Or this guy: http://www.interestingprojects.com/cruisemissile/ Aussies have their mad inventors too, but they're not half a patch on the Kiwis, who have produced some brilliant export earners with their innovation. Personally, I think it's the Scottish Engineer influence (lots of the early European settlers in NZ were Scots) Here is a link that might be useful: THE JET POWERED BEER COOLER

OOhhh Kat..another Toyota Tercel lover! My little 1983 silver bullet was the car I had coveted ever since they came out..when we bought it in 2001 it only had 80,000 actual miles on it! Then I got T-boned, and totalled the car. Thankfully, no one was injured (seat-belt bruises and broken thumbnail not counted) but I grieved over that car. Still a Toyota driver. My 1997 Camry gets over 30 mpg in town, and up to 36 on the freeway. Has to be called a mid-size, but I like it.

A. Air has stated more than once what it's like in the real world. I suggest homeowners take his advice. Here's additional real world facts that support what A. Air has said (here and in many other discussions). I've taken over maintainance of hundereds of units that owners had been paying for years to have maintained. It isn't uncommopn at all to see incorrect size filters have been used simply because correct filter size must be special ordered. I reconfigure holder to accomindate a standard size filter then clean coils. I subbed out a large % of repairs and replacements and this is what I found. Tenant would call in that heating, cooling,walk-in cooler or something wasn't working. I give call to a contractor who tell's me unit need's compressor replaced or other major repair. I did a hands on spot check of major repairs. Not unusual at all to find poor connection,failed cap or even one leg of power dead. If a contractor will send a trained monkey on a call knowing I or another owner rep might check the work,you can figure what homeowners can expect in the way of professional service. Do you believe techs actually test caps,connections,bearings,motors,stats and all those other "25 point" items when you pay for annual check-up and maintenance? Wanna buy an ocean front timeshare in AZ? If it's any comfort,plumbers,paiters,concrete and many others aren't much better. Lawyers are for the most part to blame. As an example,Texas Attorney General once did a sting on auto repair shops. Cars were taken in with blowen fuse,disconnected plug wire or such and if shop sold a new engine,transmission or other overcharge,they were prosecuted. Defense lawyers sued the state for entrapment and program was dropped. 90% of problems on earth can be traced back to overpopulation and lawyers. My name is Ben Dover,what can I help you with today?